...Are Athletes Overpaid? Do athletes really deserve the amount they are paid? Athletes are way overpaid. They make more than most. They also don’t deserve the amount they earn because they just play basketball for a living while people saving others lives don’t make that much. Many professional athletes get paid millions of dollars. Some people think athletes are overpaid and I agree. Athletes should not make more than people who risk their lives for us. Athletes also should not make more than our President. “Nurses who dedicate their lives to care for others didn’t make that much.” says the article “Are Athletes Overpaid?”(page 24) Which is true. Our nurses should make more than our basketball team. Another fact is “ Firefighters who pull...
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...Are Athletes Overpaid? Last year, NBA all-star Lebron James made a whopping 71 million dollars. That’s about a fraction of what a family income makes in a lifetime. These men and women work for entertainment. What about the firefighters who pull children out of a fire and the doctors who save people’s lives every day? They are all doing things for a purpose. With more athletes, the world cannot move forward. But with doctors coming out with cures and medicines help our life. While entertainment does not make a direct impact. Other jobs prove to be much more difficult while jobs in the NBA or NFL require physical talent. Doctors and firefighters have to take their jobs seriously. The men and women dying for our country every day and the families losing their precious sons and daughters are the ones that deserve 70 million a year. Not people who throw a ball accurately into a hoop....
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...“Jimmy Connors plays two tennis matches and winds up with $850,000, and Muhammad Ali fights one bout and winds up with five million bucks. Me, I play one-hundred and ninety games, and I'm overpaid!” - Johnny Bench. :Sports are part of everyday lives for most of the people in our country. We tend to play sports everyday, at every age and at basically every location. I believe that athletes deserve being paid large sums of money because they benefit tv providers, they work hard, and they might not work as hard without all the money. Athletes benefit tv networks and providers. People tune in to sport networks to watch stories about their favorite players or to watch them. They cost to subscribe to ESPN is $6.61 and $94.5 million houses subscribe that equal $7.5 billion dollars earned in a month by ESPN. People tune in to their channels and they see the advertisement that people paid them to put up. People watching their channel gains publicity so more people mights subscribe. They also benefit the viewer by entertaining them. That’s how athletes help tv providers....
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...Professional Athletes Overpaid? Have you ever considered how much money does an average person need to be able to have food three times a day, have a house, be able to send their children to school to get an education and even have a car? Realistically, all of this plus a little more can be done with an income of between $45,000 and $55,000 easily. For some reason, it was decided by us, people who labor is harder than the most, like janitors, factory workers, and even factory workers, should be paid less than someone that sits on a desk all day or someone that gets paid to play a game for living. Athletes today are the highest paid people in the world, with the exclusion of Donald Trump and Bill Gates. If you think about it, it is absurd to believe that someone is really worth millions of dollars and all they do is play a sport. Millions of people would do this for free if they had the chance. For that reason, I believe professional athletes are overpaid for many reasons. In USA Today Magazine, under section Your Life it says, “Although many professional athletes apparently still feel underpaid, just two percent of the public agrees, according to a survey conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide. In fact, the vast majority of Americans think athletes are overpaid.”(USA Today) This is ridiculous to hear for these athletes already making millions of dollars which is way more than they deserve. Also, in this article it states that professional athletes get paid what...
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...| Debate Paper | Are professional athletes overpaid compared to other leading occupations? | Joe Harris | XBCOM/275 | 5/19/2014 | Introduction A. Are professional athletes overpaid? B. Professional athletes are not overpaid Body A. Comparison of athletes salaries to that of other major professions B. Professional athletes are making too much money (Opposing Argument) C. Reason #1 D. Reason #2 E. Reason #3 Conclusion A. Conclusion B. Restated Argument C. Lead-out Everyone loves to watch sports, well almost everyone. I know that I do, but it seems to me that fans debate on who the best teams and players are, in any of the multiple major sports associations, year in and year out but the one question that has never been answered is, are these athletes being overpaid? Now for the sake of this particular debate I have chosen to compare athletes in all of the major sports compensation to that of someone who is considered to hold a more prestigious role in society. Professional athlete’s compensation does not just stem from the money that they receive via contract from their leagues, but also from the endorsement deals that are signed with other companies. Keeping that in mind, here is a list of the top 5 highest paid professional athletes: 1. Tiger Woods (Golf) with an annual salary of $78.1 million, in which $65 million comes from endorsement deals and $13.1 million from his respective employer the P.G...
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...And the NFL. In our discussion we will cover why athletes are considered role models and if they should be. Also we will discuss the debate of why many athletes make millions of dollars before even playing a game and if they are actually being overpaid. Throughout the paper we will explain how pop culture effects why these players get paid what they do by ratings and popularity of the sport. We research why teams take risks on players risking millions of dollars when that money could go back to the fans. In looking at major sports in America in referencing professional athletes as role models . Yes, we know how much money they make and what type of endorsement deals they get; what types of clothing they wear in to the locker rooms before/after the games and to press conferences; if they have of the field incident it is known to the public via media outlets; These athletes are looked up to for the skills possess during the sporting event. These people are great athletes again they are not recognized for what they do off the field of play. Most of Americans all ages that compete in sports copy some type body movement; buy a piece of equipment; develop a swagger that is influenced by professional athletes through which is seen during the time the time competition. These athletes are not recognized for time they spend doing volunteer work, unless it is publicized through television marketing; being great husbands or fathers. Athletes are judged for what they do on the fields not...
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...When addressing the value of entertainment, there is without a doubt, that we as a society value entertainment highly. But there is no reason that these athletes, who are here to merely entertain us, get paid higher wages than those that save our lives and teach us such as medical doctors and teachers. Professional athletes do not offer society an essential function that improves or enhances our world in comparison to other professionals. It is my claim that professional baseball players are paid more than they are worth. Economics is the key to understanding why these athletes earn such tremendous salaries; still, it fails to explain why they actually do deserve it. Giving athlete’s high wages doesn’t only distort them, but also bring downfall to clubs and the country’s economy. The growth and the development of a sport may be reflected from the wages of the athletes and that is all it does. In conclusion, Team owners pay more to keep athletes on the team to be on a winning streak, but whether the drive to win is justifiable remains in doubt. The economic system involving sports, corporate America, and the media is an interdependent one. Athletes make huge sums of money paid to them by owners who make even larger sums of money. Agents, free agency, and other phenomena keep athlete salaries rising. So, too, does increased ticket sales to games, increased TV viewership, enormous media contracts, TV advertising, and corporate sponsorship and endorsement deals. The economic rewards...
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...Overpaid Baseball Players When addressing the value of entertainment, there is without a doubt, that we as a society value entertainment highly. But there is no reason that these athletes, who are here to merely entertain us, get paid higher wages than those that save our lives and teach us such as medical doctors and teachers. Professional athletes do not offer society an essential function that improves or enhances our world in comparison to other professionals. It is my claim that professional baseball players are paid more than they are worth. Economics is the key to understanding why these athletes earn such tremendous salaries; still, it fails to explain why they actually do deserve it. Giving athlete’s high wages doesn’t only distort them, but also bring downfall to clubs and the country’s economy. The growth and the development of a sport may be reflected from the wages of the athletes and that is all it does. In conclusion, Team owners pay more to keep athletes on the team to be on a winning streak, but whether the drive to win is justifiable remains in doubt. The economic system involving sports, corporate America, and the media is an interdependent one. Athletes make huge sums of money paid to them by owners who make even larger sums of money. Agents, free agency, and other phenomena keep athlete salaries rising. So, too, does increased ticket sales to games, increased TV viewership, enormous media contracts, TV advertising, and corporate sponsorship and endorsement...
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...Are professional athletes overpaid? That’s the question the answer to that is simply no. But why would I agree with this even though I may not reach that level of salary, well it is a very easy and miniscule response. First let me start by answering a question with a question. Would you train every day from 6 am to 5 pm, eat a specific set of meals often the same meal, what about having an injury that could end your career or worse your life? Those are but a few things professional athletes have to undergo in order to reach the level of excellence we so love to watch. Now let’s start with the first point, training for anything is going to take effort whether it may be a police officer or a doctor. However for athletes that training is physical and taxing on their bodies, while a doctor can make upwards of 500,000 dollars for 40 years an athlete cannot go that long simply because the human body won’t allow it. Next you have to think about such injuries are you willing to live with a replacement knee or what about a permanent head injury. All these things we have to take into account....
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...Athletes Salaries: Are They Justified? 1. Title of Speech: “Athletes Salaries’. Are They Justified?” 2. Speaker Role/Audience: Student/An Athletic Board 3. Specific Purpose of Speech: To convince my audience that athletes’ salaries are not justified. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Brief Introduction and History of Topic: $90 million, $80 million. That adds up to a lot of money. Imagine how many mouths you could feed or how many kids could go to college with that money. Unfortunately, $90 million is the contract Nike gave Lebron James before he even touched an NBA basketball. $80 million was his contract extension in 2006 (USA Today). During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the biggest news in pro sports was Babe Ruth's contract, which paid him $75,000 per year, more than the President of the United States. (Show me the money!) According to the Seattle Times, when confronted about making more than the president, Ruth famously replied “Why Not? I had a better year than him.” Now even the lowest paid pro athletes earn almost as much as the President, who makes $400,000 a year. Later, in 1964, the Saint Louis Cardinals and the New York Jets got in a bidding war over Alabama quarterback, Joe Namath. The Jets came out on top, showing Namath a pretty decent deal. According to Harvey Frommer, sports author, Namath was “signed to a four-year contract at $25,000 per season, plus...
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...In a society where jobs are scarce, people are cutting back, and families are losing their homes, athletes are signing huge contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. If you were a teenager who just got his first part-time job you would think making minimum wage ($13) was a fortune. I mean, working part time could bring in a paycheck upwards of $200! Now imagine you’re Lebron James. Your first paycheck from your first job got you almost 13 million for three years. Now, $13 an hour doesn’t sound too great in comparison to athlete’s salaries. LeBron’s salary is just one example of the absurdity surrounding athlete’s paychecks. In 2009, the average salary for basketball player was around 6 million. An average baseball player made around 3 million, a hockey player, around 2 million and football players made an around 1 million. The reason athletes are paid so much is because of the fans that “sponsor” them. These are ordinary Americans who idolize their favorite athletes and are willing to pay hundreds to see them play. Not only this, but the popularity fans bring to athletes gets those athletes advertising jobs and other ways of making money outside of their sport. The middle class is getting paid less...
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...1. Title of Speech: “Athletes Salaries’. Are They Justified?” 2. Speaker Role/Audience: Student/An Athletic Board 3. Specific Purpose of Speech: To convince my audience that athletes’ salaries are not justified. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Brief Introduction and History of Topic: $90 million, $80 million. That adds up to a lot of money. Imagine how many mouths you could feed or how many kids could go to college with that money. Unfortunately, $90 million is the contract Nike gave Lebron James before he even touched an NBA basketball. $80 million was his contract extension in 2006 (USA Today). During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the biggest news in pro sports was Babe Ruth's contract, which paid him $75,000 per year, more than the President of the United States. (Show me the money!) According to the Seattle Times, when confronted about making more than the president, Ruth famously replied “Why Not? I had a better year than him.” Now even the lowest paid pro athletes earn almost as much as the President, who makes $400,000 a year. Later, in 1964, the Saint Louis Cardinals and the New York Jets got in a bidding war over Alabama quarterback, Joe Namath. The Jets came out on top, showing Namath a pretty decent deal. According to Harvey Frommer, sports author, Namath was “signed to a four-year contract at $25,000 per season, plus a $200,000 bonus. Scouting jobs...
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...The Deal With Student Athletes Almost every student coming out of high school would like to further their education at a college or university. Unfortunately, many students cannot afford the cost of attending college. This leaves students with few options, either abandon their hopes and join the workforce with no college education. The other option is to take on loans resulting in massive student debt after graduation. Another option, which I will be focusing on, is to receive a scholarship to compete in college sports. There is a catch if one decides to take this route, athletes are not allowed to make or accept any compensation whilst attending the university. This has led to players controversially getting kicked off teams and losing their scholarships. This issue has people torn as to whether the students should be paid or not. Journalists use similar rhetorical strategies to try to convince their readers despite having opposing views of the same topic. One person...
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...money for other necessities. You did not save enough money in high school and your family does not have money to give you. You are a college athlete. Athletic boosters tempt the athletes with illegal benefits because most do not have money for their own use. The NCAA makes millions of dollars off a college athlete’s performance. The NCAA is a not-for-profit agency that does not operate like one. If college athletes received a yearly stipend from the NCAA, then they might not be lured to take illegal benefits and would have spending money to enjoy the college life experience and pay for needed college items, such as a computer or supplies. For those reasons, college athletes should be paid by the NCAA for the services they provide to their schools. Critics against student athletes being paid believe in the benefits of the athletic scholarship. However, past athletes received improper benefits, financial and otherwise. Reggie Bush accepted improper benefits when he played football for University of Sothern California. According to the article, “Paying College Athletes,” “…current NFL star Reggie Bush-had violated its amateurism rules when his family moved into an expensive home owned by a local businessman with whom Bush and his family had had business dealings related to Bush’s football career” (Paying College Athletes par. 7). Reggie Bush and his family collected an excess of $290,000 from sports agent Lloyd Lake. Lake sued Bush and his family to be repaid...
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...It wasn’t long ago that I was a young boy cheering on the Lakers from my home in SoCal. I watched in awe as one of the great dynasties in NBA history dismantled one opponent after the next. Kobe Bryant was a young superstar being called the next Jordan and Shaq was making his defenders look like Sunday brunch. Those were the days when I was a diehard fan, watching countless games, idolizing the skilled athletes, and wishing to be in their shoes someday. In recent years, however, I’ve lost all interest in the NBA and the disgrace of a league that it’s become. So, how did this all happen? How did I go from being the biggest basketball fan I know to a despiser of the league and everything it represents? Let’s go back to the days when I was first followed basketball. I was in elementary school and some of my friends were Lakers fans. I watched a few games with them and really got into the action. I loved everything about the Lakers, from their players, to their history, to the color of their jerseys. I followed the team religiously as they won multiple championships. I couldn’t believe the team that played just an hour from where I lived was experiencing such tremendous success. They’d just won their third straight title and I couldn’t have been happier. The year they signed Payton and Malone was when my love for the game reached its peak. Watching five future hall of famers on the same team was incredible. Of course, the Lakers lost to the Pistons in the finals that year, and...
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